FOLEY, Howard Patrick
February 29, 1924 ~ March 4, 2014
I must go down to the seas again, to the
lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.
“Howie,” as he was affectionately known by family and friends, was born in North Vancouver, B.C. Much of his childhood was spent there until the family moved to Vancouver where he completed High School. Shortly after this, Howie enlisted in the Canadian Navy, serving on a Corvette for the duration of World War II. He served in the Korean War on destroyers.
Howie became a plumber and pipefitter and worked in many of the mills and major industrial construction sites in B.C., and Alberta. He was among the first crews to work on the Malahat section of the Island Highway. He loved B.C. and his work allowed him to live in many places: Victoria, Port Alberni, Ocean Falls, Powell River, and Gibsons, among others. Howie was comfortable in his own shoes as a worker, holding a clear identity and pride in that as well as a concern for workers’ issues in his province and country.
Howie had one all-consuming passion: boats. At one stage, he spent every spare hour after work and every weekend for 5 years building a two-masted sailboat, called “Cantata”. Never without a boat of some kind, Howie overhauled and refitted a succession of boats in various conditions which took pride-of-place in his yard throughout his life. And as he worked, his favourite dog was with him.
For Howie, life was a good journey, one to which he brought a positive and welcoming personal energy. He took pleasure in the ordinary walk of daily life. As family and friends, we are profoundly grateful we were part of his life and shared some of his walks.
He will be missed deeply by his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, friends and his wife and cherished companion, Lydia Foley.
The family sincerely thank all those who have provided such fine medical care to Howard Foley in the final stage of his illness: Dr. Clive Balfour, The Palliative Care Unit of the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital: Dr. Spry, its nursing staff and volunteers, and the nursing staff at Dufferin Place.
We will celebrate Howie’s life with an informal tea on Sunday, March 16th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the clubhouse at Deerwood Estate, 3950 King Arthur Drive, Nanaimo.